YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN THE THE INDIANAPOLIS ZOO ON AN EXCLUSIVE SAFARI TO SOUTHERN TANZANIA East Africa’s Pristine Wilderness JUNE 19 TO 29, 2021 Schedules, accommodations and prices are accurate at the time of writing. They are subject to change. YOUR ZOO ESCORT ~DR. ROB SHUMAKER Robert W. Shumaker, Ph.D. President of the Indianapolis Zoo, is an evolutionary biologist who specializes in the study of behavior and cognition. Rob started his career at the Smithsonian National Zoo where during his 20-year tenure he worked as an animal keeper, curator, biologist, exhibit designer, and scientist. He went on to spend several years at the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa as the senior scientist supervising all research with orangutans. In 2010 he moved to the Indianapolis Zoo where he is now the Zoo President. YOUR PROFESSIONAL NATURALIST-GUIDE ~ ROBERT MARKS MOSHI Robert Marks Moshi is a native Tanzanian with the distinction of being adopted at a very early age and raised by a Scottish missionary doctor. Robert’s love for conservation and wildlife started early and he earned his master’s degree by focusing on the study of elephants and their behavior. His mentor is Cynthia Moss and he spent time studying in her Amboseli headquarters, as well as the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi. Now a naturalist guide back in his beloved native land, Robert lives in bustling Arusha when he is not showing guests around Tanzania. Robert is most at home in the wild where his keen eye can spot a lion or a cheetah in the distance and his passion for his fellow people is evident as he shares insights and lore. He has a generous heart and a gentle smile and is excited to share the glories of Tanzania with you. Schedules, accommodations and prices are accurate at the time of writing. They are subject to change. YOUR ITINERARY DAY 1~SATURDAY~JUNE 19 INDIANAPOLIS / EN- ROUTE Your journey begins as you board your overnight flight to Dar es Salaam via Amsterdam. (Meals Aloft) DAY 2~SUNDAY~JUNE 20 AMSTERDAM/DAR ES SALAAM Tonight, land in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's premier city, the political and economic capital of the country, even though the official seat of government was moved to Dodoma in 1973. The 'Haven of Peace' started life as a fishing village in the mid- 19th century when the Sultan of Zanzibar got the urge to turn a creek (now a harbor) into a safe port and trading center. Now it's a teeming metropolis of millions of people where Arab dhow boats mingle with huge ocean-going vessels. Upon arrival you will be met by your Classic Escapes representative and escorted to your hotel. Amidst the bustle of one of Africa's most dynamic cities there is a sanctuary offering peaceful respite...the Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel. Encircled by tropical gardens and just minutes from the broad sweep of Indian Ocean beaches, the 230-room Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel is considered one of city’s finest hotels. The rooms are simple and elegant in their design and equipped with all modern amenities. Enjoy the swimming pool, restaurant, excellent gift shop and the comfort of your delightful room. Overnight at DAR ES SALAAM SERENA. (Meals Aloft) http://www.serenahotels.com/serenadaressalaam/default-en.html. DAYS 3/4 ~MONDAY/TUESDAY~JUNE 121/22 DAR ES SALAAM/SELOUS GAME RESERVE~ RUFIJI RIVER CAMP After breakfast transfer to the airport for a short flight to the Selous Game Reserve where you will be met and escorted to Rufiji River Camp, your home for the next two nights. The less visited Rufiji River has some of the highest concentrations of hippo and crocodile on the continent. It is home to the largest populations of Africa's most sought-after wildlife including elephant, lion, wild dog, leopard, buffalo, and herds of plains animals. And yet, it remains one of the least visited of the great game sanctuaries on the continent. The reserve is also superb for birding as it is home to over 400 species. Among these are the Knob-billed duck, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur Eagle, Red-faced Crombec, Green-capped Eremomela, Spotted-flanked Barbet, Stierling’s Barred Warbler, Pearl-spotted Owlette and Bennett’s Woodpecker. For optimal bird viewing we suggest you embark on the boat safaris. Schedules, accommodations and prices are accurate at the time of writing. They are subject to change. The little visited Selous is particularly refreshing. Selous stands out from many of the other wonderful reserves and parks in Africa because of the opportunity to take both boat and walking safaris. Both options bring you far closer to the natural environment than regular 4x4 game drives and are not generally available in other reserves. Swim in a remote hot spring and boat upstream to the rocky cliffs of Stieglers’ Gorge which provides some of the best leopard sightings in the region. Your home in this region of the Selous will be the Rufiji River Camp. Each tent has a thatched roof, marvelous verandah, and en suite bathroom with solar heated water for showering. The focus here is truly on game and wildlife; guests feel immersed in nature throughout their stay. Spend your evenings dining al fresco, and relaxing in the pool after a long day of game drives. Overnights at the RUFIJI RIVER CAMP. (B,L,D Daily) www.rufijirivercamp.com DAYS 5/6~WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY~JUNE 23/24 SELOUS GAME RESERVE~MIVUMO RIVER LODGE Get set for exciting wildlife viewing on foot, boat and 4x4 vehicle during your stay at Selous (pronounced Seloo) – the second biggest conservation area in Africa, and the largest wildlife reserve on the continent. Measuring an astounding 22,000 square miles it is also a proclaimed World Heritage site. To give scale to these figures, the reserve covers an area more than twice that of Denmark, is bigger than Switzerland, and is nearly four times the size of the Serengeti! Named after the legendary 19th century explorer and hunter Frederick Courteney Selous, the reserve was founded by the German colonial administration in 1905. It was later expanded to include traditional elephant migration routes and accommodate the vast herds of buffalo that roam this remote, untouched corner of Africa. Selous boasts an impressive variety of mammals, birdlife and wildflowers in a mosaic of wooded hills, open miombo woodland and grassy plains and marshes. Here, there’s no fixed itinerary…rather, you’ll pick up on the rhythm of the wilderness around you, all the time looking to explore and expand your knowledge and understanding. The wonder of exploring the wilderness on foot, the magic of following the stately footprints of an old bull elephant, cut crisp and smooth in the white river sand, to discover his tracks interrupted by the passage of a female leopard dragging her recent kill, her tracks leading to a nearby tamarind tree; the small and industrious workings of termites to the dead silence of midday interrupted by the sound of gigantic ears flapping, to cool him deep in the shade; to the rush of five hundred buffalo stampeding away through tall grass… that’s what this is all about. The focus here is on wildlife, exploring and Schedules, accommodations and prices are accurate at the time of writing. They are subject to change. connecting with the landscape by 4X4 vehicle, on foot and in a canoe. The tracking of buffalo and elephant, on foot with experienced porters, trackers and trained guides, is a big part of what they do here, often forming the undercurrent through the day that draws you to discover other natural wonders. The rivers are navigable and with a fleet of modern inflatable canoes; it is a fantastic and relaxed way to gently travel the land. In addition, the sheer dramatic scale of Selous makes it an outstanding example of untouched African wilderness, and as one of the last refuges of healthy populations of the endangered African wild dogs the reserve truly can claim to offer a unique African safari experience. Your lodge for the next two nights is situated on the panhandle of the Rufiji River in view of the mighty Stiegler’s Gorge. All of the twelve rooms are set along the river among a large shady riverine forest characterized by acacia, tamarind, fig and sausage trees. The rooms are equipped with spacious bathroom facilities and an outside shower. Each room has large comfortable beds, luxurious linen, full length mirrors and air-conditioning. Traditionally thatched with high vaulted ceilings and picture windows, each room features an engaging mix of classic safari antiques and ultra-modern leather and rattan styled furniture. Each room has its own extensive private sundeck, loungers, and plunge-pool and river views. The lodge also has a full aromatherapy spa offering a range of facilities. Overnights at SERENA MIVUMO RIVER LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)www.serenahotels.com/serenamivumo Schedules, accommodations and prices are accurate at the time of writing. They are subject to change. DAYS 7/8/9~FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY~JUNE 25/26/27 RUAHA NATIONAL PARK~JONGOMERO CAMP Your flight now takes you to Ruaha National Park, the largest national park in Tanzania. Covering an area of approximately 5,000 square miles, Ruaha, with its undulating miombo bush-covered hills, huge kopjes, open river plains and tree-lined sand rivers, contains a wide variety of game. Because this park is part of what has always been a remote wilderness area, it has little recorded history. It was not far from here that the famous Hehe chief, Mkwawa, was eventually cornered by the Germans in 1898, after having resisted for many years the German’s efforts to subjugate the Hehe people.